I just had to see this film. I purchased it some time ago. A film about
Shihad- Well, this film should of been made years ago I think. Shihad have had
a very up and down career, they have sold themselves to satan numerous times
(but maybe only the once…) and have now over their musical career put out a
long list of rather predictable records. I wish this documentary focused on the
music more…as the band have aged, had families (or more sexual intercourse..)
their music has not aged as well. Their most recent records sound more like
40 somethings trying to be in their mid 20s again. No thanks, do something
interesting. I thought the first 3 Shihad albums were legendary yes I did.
I thought they were maybe not the uniquest thing about, but they combined
melody with heavyness. That melody and gelling has gone out the window since
about 1999. I think The General Electric is an okay album, but its still very
boring. Its like techno meets heavy rock…not my cup of tea. Why couldn't they
just keep doing original more inventive songs- They used to experiment (see the
song Debs night out) with feed back over tracks and have good up and down parts
to their songs. Now its just one big scream fest over a load of noisy
instruments. Jon too good hasn't written a really great song since that
Interconnector one they did back in 98. The actual DVD has some interesting
things, but its kind of just the band blowing their egos up their own chimneys.
Nothing really interesting. Their manager died of a drug overdose (such good
timing) in 1995, probably just as they needed him. Shihad seemed doomed to be
remembered for that Home Again song and Pacifier, they left heaps of great b
sides off that BORING Love is the new hate album (which was just a pop rock copy
of that Killjoy one they did 10 years before). Their ignite album in 2010 was
mostly rubbish. I am really hoping for something more interesting for future
records. To revive the bands career this documentary should of been put out in
2006, when they played those FREE Auckland shows for their fans and launching
their new record. I don't think that Pacifier album they did in 2002 was that
bad, but it wasn't really THEM, and the way it was marketed on the radio with
much of the other commercial rock dung about at the time didn't help. Name
changes are name changes, its the music that matters. And the music of Shihad
has not been great or amazing at all since 1996 or 1998 and that is a
while now.